KING JESUS - LORD OF LORDS
IS COMING BACK!

email: creyner@yahoo.com

James 5:1 (KJV) Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

When The Worst Happens...

.....and it will.

In all things give thanks. That's what the scriptures tell me I should do.

"But Lord, surely not in these circumstances. That's ridiculous...impossible."

In ALL things.

"But, Lord, this is more than I can take. I am afraid. I am angry. Things are out of my control. I'm not strong enough to deal with this."

In ALL things. Again He speaks to me and gives me no excuses to fall back on. In ALL things.

"Okay, Lord." And so I begin to give thanks. At first, hesitantly - reluctantly - forced. A pouting child. And then I gain speed. I really FEEL thankful. And then I cannot stop. It seems there is no end to the things for which I am thankful.

And then, I move into JOY. I am beyond thankful. I am overwhelmed with joy. The joy of the Lord is my strength. My heart sings. My spirit soars. I am above circumstances. I am not afraid. I am not angry. I am not in control, but I know The One Who is.

I know Whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able. I have a powerful friend who died for me. My Savior. My Lord. And HE is in charge. I am so thankful.

Move into joy. In all things give thanks.

A true story.

A Child of the King


Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.






Friday, December 30, 2011

How Good Do You Have To Be?

I don't smoke, and I don't chew...
and I don't go with girls who do.

This little ditty from the past ran through my mind the other day as I was musing about 'stuff.' It made me smile, and while the wisdom of this course of action may be valid for a number of reasons, it is not the basis for our salvation. While we may think it's 'a sin' to do specific acts which we know are not God's best for us, the bottom line is that 'sin' is much larger than that. It is a condition, a disease of our very nature, with which we are shot through from birth.

No matter how 'good' we try to be it can never be good enough. And yet the good news is that no matter how 'bad' we might be it can never be bad enough to bar us from the mercy of Jesus Christ. The beauty of it is that it is strictly up to us. Once we hear God's call it is each person's choice to make. Who will run my life? Will I run it? Or will I submit every single action and decision to the rule of Christ as Lord of my life?

It sounds easy. And it really is. The problem comes in having the discipline to touch base with the Lord and His Word about everything. We commit our lives to Him, thank Him with great joy and then run off and immediately take charge again. If you think a relationship with your parents, your kids, your spouse or other people is hard to keep on a steady course, try one with the Creator of the universe! Because He really IS the boss. The irony here is that if you allow God to run your life every minute of the day those other relationships will run more smoothly than you can believe. When you get off track with God you get off track with everybody else. Its a spiritual law.

Our sinful condition may be compared to having the chicken pox. We turn a couple of the really irritating 'poxes' over to the Lord and He clears them up, but meanwhile others are popping up all over the place. We need to turn the whole body over to Him and do it daily. That's the secret. If we do not talk to the Lord every single day, consult Him about every single thing, well...the pox is on us. And just when we think we've got it down pretty well, we've taken our medicine daily, we're pretty good now, we take a break from the Lord. Oops. We get broad-sided and the disease attacks our most vulnerable spot. One we thought was taken care of a long time ago...wrong.

We can't afford to tell someone else to take the log out of his eye if we can't even take care of our own. Talk - and more importantly, listen - to the Lord moment by moment.

It will change your life. I guarantee it.



A Child of the King


Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. 





Thursday, December 29, 2011

Exactly How Much Does God Love You?

God is love. We all know this phrase by heart. But what exactly does it mean?

Our valentine image of love is of cupids with little red arrows, hearts, chocolates, flowers and a general giddiness. It is a time of wonder for young adults as they speculate on the implications for themselves, and for older ones who sometimes wonder if anyone really does care.

We have these same tender feelings when we are involved with a wedding. The romance, the joy, the hopes and dreams and expressions of undying love accompany young couples as they enter a period of temporary insanity and seem to lose touch with all rational thought. This is why parents cry at weddings. They realize that this moment, this apex of romance, is about to be hurled unsuspectingly into a world of reality. This young love will be tested and tried to see if it has the capacity - the will - to endure into maturity.

We soon discover that love is not necessarily easy. That loved one is provoking bad feelings in us and we wonder if we even like that person who doesn't seem as cooperative and charming as we had at first thought. Somewhere along the line we must decide if we will love. Anyway. We must either commit to love that person or decide that it is much easier to simply walk away. To love may be the harder choice. The riskier choice. But always the right choice. To love is to give oneself totally and without reservation regardless of the cost. To lay oneself bare and vulnerable.

We often measure our worth by the cost of the gift. How much am I loved? How much is that other person willing to sacrifice for me? What is my value? One rose worth, one box of candy's worth, one romantic dinner's worth ...?

How much does God love you? How much was He willing to sacrifice for you? How much are you worth to Him?

One cross worth.

A Child of the King
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

What Is Love?

The entire goal and point of Christianity is born of love. God is love...

God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life...Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength, and thy neighbor as thyself.

The entire law of the Old Testament is fulfilled in love, in Jesus. And the New Testament says that Christians can be identified by their love for one another (are you ever recognized as a Christian by a stranger?). The amount of love you have is in direct proportion to how subject you are to God's will in your life, how obedient you are.

We often think of love as an emotion. But, real love transcends emotion, which is an involuntary feeling. Love is a voluntary choice, a decision, an act of the will. It therefore contains a moral aspect: intent. It is the choice of the intellect, made out of devotion to God. It is the conscious choice to obey (for the intrinsic value inherent in obedience to God), and it is the result of true repentance.

The virtue of that choice brings forth a feeling, a deep sense of joy. But feelings are fleeting. Love must operate above feeling. It must be reliable enough to sustain whatever cross we are called upon to bear in life. And the crosses of others. Regardless of how we feel about it.

This choice to love evokes true concern for others, is happy at their good fortune, without the slightest envy, and truly grieves at their unhappiness. It does not matter who they are, or what their station in life. The lowliest person's welfare will be as important as that of the most eminent. The fact that he is a creature of God is reason enough to love.

Even enemies, or those who have mistreated us, fall under the cloak of love. In spite of the damage done to us, in spite of what we feel, God's love in us will have us "pray for them that hate you, and do good to them that despitefully use and persecute you."

This love is active, not passive. It energetically seeks the welfare of the other person. It becomes one's natural reaction. The result of obedience. The human nature, through obedience, is transformed and takes on the character of God. Of love.

Love is merciful. It does not demand the deserved punishment. It is not only ready - but eager - to forgive.

Love is truthful. It even speaks with candor, because it resides in the reality of truth and does not try to change unpleasant facts. In fact, it requires truth.

Love is patient. Not necessarily a calm, unruffled facade. Rather, it exhibits perseverance under trial, bearing up with a steadfastness of purpose that is rooted in complete trust in God.

Love is kind, with a meek spirit that bears injurious treatment. Love is more than kind; it is even long suffering.

Love is humble, that modest and unassuming state of mind that is not driven by ambition or recognition, but accepts itself as a sinner saved by grace.

Love is stable. It is evidence of a new nature, a new creature, a new heart, a new life.

Love is not possible for an individual without God, who is love, and who is the only source available to provide it.

Love is a miracle of transformation which is available to you. All you need do is ask.

A Child of The King

Tuesday, December 27, 2011


Spiritual Warfare - Part 1 (2, 3, 4)
The Unseen Foe behind Rising Evil
by Berit Kjos - July 26, 2011

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress...." Psalm 18:2


[This 5-part series and many more by Berit Kjos, one of my favorites, can be found at http://www.crossroad.to]

"...the whole world is under the sway of the evil one." 1 John 5:19
"The Bible reveals that the unseen world has rulers and majesties and tremendous beings with whom man can get into communication and be possessed by...”[1] Oswald Chambers, author of My Utmost for His Highest

"...some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons..." 1 Tim. 4:1


Introduction to This Series

We don't hear much about spiritual warfare these days. Most churches seem to ignore the reality of Satan and the depravity he inspires. God's warnings about compromise with a corrupt world simply don't fit the new image of Jesus as a gentle, tolerant, pluralistic helper.
Since the 18th century's birth of the "Age of Reason," an increasing number of "enlightened" Western leaders and influential "change agents" have tried to discredit the Bible and silence Christian believers. More recently, a vast number of politicians, media masters and educators have joined the battles against Biblical truth and morality.
Karl Marx chose another way to distance himself from any Biblical accountability. He chose to believe in Satan, and he proved it in his writings. His dark poem Oulanem gives us a glimpse of the evil force behind communism:


"If there is a Something which devours,
I’ll leap within it, though I bring the world to ruins—The world which bulks between me and the abyss
I will smash to pieces with my enduring curses."
[2]
Satan's captivating lies have sparked wars and cruelty through the ages. Ever since Eve chose to follow her feelings rather than God's wise guidelines, humanity has faced assaults from "the evil one" -- often through his human pawns. [5] Call him Devil, Deceiver, Satan, or serpent; it doesn't matter. It's all the same haughty oppressor:
"...that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world..." Rev. 12:9
From the beginning, this liar has been seeding doubt, depravity, despair and death. Through the ages, he has inspired idolatry, witchcraft, deadly curses, magical arts, and sensual, blood-thirsty "gods" that he could use to control people and corrupt cultures. He continues to blind people to warnings such as this:
"There shall not be found among you anyone who... practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer [fortuneteller], or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord..." Deut. 18:10-12
Satan knows well that no nation can maintain true freedom apart from God's moral law. Quenched by propaganda for immorality, hedonism and anti-Christian solidarity, the Biblical values that made America kind, generous, honest and successful are now fading fast -- even in churches. A youth pastor sent me this conflicting message:

"I am a strong Christian and love the Lord with all my heart. The problem is I really enjoy reading the [Harry Potter] books and nothing about them conflicts with my spirit..."

Another visitor who called herself "a young solitary witch" wrote this revealing message:
"I am a [Harry Potter] fan for several reasons. ... You are not just drawn into the story but into that world. Then through talking about them with fans you fall further and further in love with the characters, you analyze them and worry about them until they feel real to you. Then you have, in a way, become a part of that shared universe, and it is a wonderful place to be."
When a nation turns from God's ways to decadence, our Lord withdraws His blessings and protection. And when Satan has his way, disaster reigns. Remember, the evil one rules a hierarchy of like-minded demonic beings:
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness... Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day..." Eph 6:12-13
That "evil day" may soon bring persecution -- as it did to the persecuted Christians in the Soviet Union. Twentieth Century Communism should be a warning to all of us. Western countries like America, the UK and Germany are still hosts to unthinkable secret societies and occult ceremonies. Some of those elite and empowered servants of darkness may well become tomorrow's tyrants.
Are we ready to "stand firm" in Jesus Christ, wearing His armor as we face the battles ahead?
The Deceitfulness of Evil (Genesis 3)

God created a sinless world. But it didn't take long before His perfect creation was tarnished. When the serpent tempted Eve to reject God's warning, she fell for his lies. Adam followed in her steps and shared the devastating consequences: the loss of God's precious nearness. Humanity was consigned to a corrupt world, where Satan would spread his lures and wreak havoc throughout the earth.

Remember the serpent's first enticing lie? Then as now, the dialectic process encouraged compromise and lowered resistance to the planned deception. Ponder this familiar process:
"Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?
"And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.
"Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate." Gen 3:1-6

Eve hadn't forgotten God's command. It just didn't seem that important. The serpent's smooth questions and pleasing assurances won her heart, and she agreed. The old dialectic brainwashing process touted by Communist leaders from Marx to contemporary UN leaders effectively moves the issue from facts and truth to feelings and tempting experiences. [See chart]

That's why this mind-changing process has become the world's main tool for conforming minds to the new agenda! Our education establishment works hand in hand with UNESCO to transfer the love and loyalties of America's school children from God to a corrupt global government. They know the transformational tactics well.
Meanwhile, today's suggestive books, movies, music and violent games are fast reinforcing this transformation of mind and values.
Depravity, Death and Deliverance
The years that followed were anything but easy for Adam and Eve. Their son Cain killed his brother Abel. Then, as centuries passed and people multiplied, corruption spread. In Genesis 6 we are told that,
"...the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually....The earth also was corrupt before God and... filled with violence." Genesis 6:5, 11
Satan and his followers had been busy. Remember, the evil one commands a huge "army" of like-minded warriors.
But in the midst of the widespread depravity, Noah served God. While his neighbors mocked him for building a massive ship on dry land, Noah stood his ground and followed God's precise instructions:
"Make yourself an ark of gopher-wood....The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. ...You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks." Genesis 6:14-16
This huge ark was actually 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. It looked like a long, massive box, shaped to ride on the rough waves. It was large enough to house a zoo with samples from every "kind" of land-based animals. For example, one kind of cat would preserve the genetic structure of lions as well as of domestic kittens. Most animals were probably young and small. But there was plenty of room for elephants, giraffes and ostriches as well.
In other words, this was no small tub-boat with a few cute animal heads popping up! But such false images in children's Bible stories have served Satan's purposes well. It makes the flood sound like a fable, thus undermining the authority of God's Word!
The Battlefield Widens
After the flood, the population again spread and multiplied. And with it grew the seeds of idolatry, war, tyranny and destruction.
"...this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood....The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. ...Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. ...And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel... " Genesis 10:1-10
"And they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves...” Genesis 11:4
The tower they built didn't last long. Nor did their quest for unity and admiration. Instead,
"the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth..." Genesis 11:8-9
God wasn't pleased with man's vision of global oneness. Do you wonder what He thinks of the United Nation's plan to eradicate Biblical Christianity and replace it with a more useful and tolerant spirituality? These two UNESCO [UN Education, Culture, and Science agency] Declarations may help answer that question:
Who Won?
God did! He always wins -- even when the victory looks more like defeat to us! He is the sovereign King and Creator over all, and His wisdom and long-range plans for our lives far surpass our finite understanding. Everything is under His command:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
With our narrow vision of His heavenly plans, we may be tempted to complain. To resist that lure, we need to trust God, to know His Word, and to remember His wonderful promises. No matter what challenges we face, He is still with us -- strengthening our faith and teaching endurance in the midst of our struggles.
"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ... taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always...." Eph. 6:10-18


1. Oswald Chamber, Oswald Chambers Daily Devotional Bible, p. 652
2. Richard Wurmbrand, Was Marx a Satanist? (Diane Books, 1976), p.12.


Monday, December 26, 2011

Over 300 Prophecies Fulfilled When Christ Was Born

Did anyone prophecy your birth? Or mine? I don't think so! But I doubt that anyone will question that we lived.

And yet the most prophesied birth in the history of the world is occasionally foolishly questioned by the enemies of God who never cease to harass the Christian faith.

No, the Son of God was not born on December 25th...and, yes, the day we celebrate was co-opted from the pagan Roman holiday of Saturnalia in an attempt to convert pagan Rome to Christianity. We, too, supposedly a nation of Christians, have celebrated our national idol of money to the point of nearly commercializing everything holy out of Christmas.

Should we then join the enemies of God by denouncing Christmas? Not at all. We will always be in a spiritual warfare with God's enemies. We need to cultivate the truth of our celebration of the birth of our Savior so that our light shines brightly into a dark world. One ray of light eliminates much darkness. This is a great time to take advantage of this unique opportunity to present the gospel to the world.

Unlike anyone else in the history of the world, the birth of Jesus Christ was foretold for centuries by the Hebrew prophets, along with the details of His life, death and resurrection. No prophecies preceded the births of Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad, etal. None of them were resurrected from the dead. The life of Christ is the most verifiably proven life in all of history. The fulfillment of Bible prophecy is one of the most powerful proofs that we have. Paul used it in converting the lost, turning the world of his day upside down. So should we.

Christianity was not a first-century invention. The birth of the Messiah is the fulfillment of centuries of prophets who spoke with one voice the consistent message of the prophecy of Jesus. There are more than 300 Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. For what reason? So that Israel could identify Him when He arrived.

The very first prophecy can be found in Genesis. The prophecies declared that He must be of the "lineage of David" and the gospels of Matthew and Luke begin with the genealogy of Joseph and Mary, clearly establishing that Jesus met every criteria. No other life in the world has been as meticulously documented, even by secular scholars. His Word, the Bible, is consistently the most purchased book in the world. And yet many of His own people, the Jews, rejected Him then and now.

While great numbers of Messianic Jews are accepting Christ in recent years, the majority of Jews still hope for their Messiah to come and will accept the anti-christ as their messiah for a short period of time before finally recognizing Him at His Second Coming.

Man crucified its Creator despite overwhelming evidence of His Deity.

Many skeptics have been converted to Jesus Christ in the midst of their search to disprove Him. It is impossible to remain an honest skeptic after examining the historical record.

We have the most solid reasons possible for our faith in Christ. The most convincing evidence becomes our relationship with Him. Ours is not a shallow worship of dead idols, eyes that cannot see, tongues that cannot speak. No. Ours is a living relationship with God, one in which we share fellowship with Him. He communes with us.

Don't lose any opportunity to present the gospel with conviction and boldness at this time of celebration of the blessed Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He did not remain a baby in a cradle. He became a living sacrifice to bring redemption to all mankind that would believe and accept Him as Lord of their lives.

He is coming back very soon, not as the meek and lowly sacrificial lamb, but in power and glory as the King of Kings, to judge the world and to reign and rule in righteousness, fulfilling the rest of the prophecies. He wants you to be a part of that kingdom. Just ask Him.

A Child of the King
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Who Is This Jesus?

Jesus is not who most people think he is. He is not the ambiguous, soft, meek and mild, simpering, always-gentle, always smiling, politically correct, maudlin one who is tolerant of everything and everyone.

This popular "jesus" is the one most American so-called 'christians' follow today. The only problem is that this is another jesus...a different jesus than the one in the Bible. This is an idol god which is a total construct of human minds, a god invented to serve the whims of its inventors, a god who aids and abets them in serving the great god of SELF.

Many people find a jesus appearing in their unholy meditative states, a false god who is leading millions to believe that they can join the One, the unified consciousness of the universe, and become god themselves. We are all god, this jesus says. People want a jesus to suit their comfort zones, a benign god who smiles on everything they do. After all, we each have our own truth - or so we want to think. This is the emerging jesus that the emerging churches love - a consumer jesus, one that is user-friendly and, above all, tolerant.

This is evil.
And if this is your god you are in great danger. When you come face to face with Jesus Christ, he will say to you, "Depart from me. I never knew you."

This is precisely why the church is in dire trouble in 2011. Few people know the real Jesus. This is why this nation is under God's judgment. Much of the church is exactly like the world. Then, why would the world want what you have? They already have it. If you're going to act like the world, be honest and admit you are of the world. If you are a real Christian, the world can tell the difference.

The real Jesus is just the opposite. He is outspoken, bold and blunt, aggressive. This is the Jesus we so desperately need today, the One who told us to beware of false christs. This is the Jesus who went into the temple with a whip, who spoke the ruthless truth to hypocrites and purveyors of false doctrine and self-righteousness, who spoke the unvarnished truth.

Jesus confronted people who were in error, calling them to repent of their sins. People today don't want the real Jesus. He's too negative. Too narrow-minded. Too dogmatic. Too truthful.

The real Jesus preaches the unvarnished truth, calls false religion a lie, tells sinners they need to repent of their sin and escape hell by putting their faith in Him. He says there’s only one way to God, not many paths. He says that the road is narrow and there are only a few who find it. He said, "You must be born again."

There are many people who think they are Christians, but they are not. They are on the broad road to destruction. They are deceived. They are not born again. Their eyes are blinded. They are on the road to hell. They can proclaim that they are 'good people,' which is not only completely untrue, but would be irrelevant if it were possible. The Bible says the heart is continually evil. It says there is not one good...no, not one. Our goodness will lead to only one place...hell. That is precisely why Jesus died on the cross, to pay the penalty for our sin because we are not able to do that. We do not have the ability to be 'good enough.' There's no such thing. That was the sin of the Pharisees, who Jesus relentlessly condemned for their self-righteousness (because they wanted to appear 'good.')

Jesus has given us a detailed road map which tells us exactly who He is and what He thinks. We need not speculate that "My god thinks this or that..." What He thinks is in the Bible, which very few people are deeply familiar with. They know a few verses here and there, have a superficial knowledge of it, but it is not the first priority in their lives. First priority means: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you." This is why they cannot distinguish between a false christ and the real Jesus Christ.

We need a call for holiness, purity, clear Gospel understanding and teaching. If we would stop imitating the world on every level and try to please God rather than man we would then have a real hunger for truth, clarity, objective reality. Confronting false teaching and hypocrisy should be one of the highest priorities of a Christian.

If you try to be busy, busy, busy in the church and engage in lots of social action, you make yourself look 'good' and get lots of applause (even from the world). If you tell the truth, however, people resent you. So you do the thing that makes you popular and, unfortunately, often become a 'teacher' or 'leader' in the church, making each generation weaker in the faith (if in it at all).

They didn’t kill Jesus because he loved little children, fed the poor and healed the sick. They killed him because he confronted their self-righteousness and told them their religion would send them to hell. This is the loving thing you have to do. The church has to recapture its own courage and be faithful to follow the path the Lord took.

He said: "I am the way, the truth, the life. No man cometh to the Father but by me."

He was not popular, but despised and persecuted for defending the truth of the gospel. He said we would be, too. Are we?

This is the One whose birth we celebrate today. He came to change the world ... to change you ... if you will only ask Him. 

The first time He came as a baby - the next time He will come as a Judge, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Are you ready?

Royal Heir

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas





May the Lord bestow upon you bountiful spiritual riches
and an abundance of His peace in the coming year








Friday, December 23, 2011

Stranger Things Have Happened ...


Thursday, December 22, 2011

Seventy Weeks of Years

by Ron Graham
12/22/2011
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” Daniel 9:24. To begin with, it’s imperative to grasp the meaning behind the term “weeks” in the above verse. Many times while studying God’s word we find our English words insufficient to allow a full explanation of the true meaning found in particular scripture verses. For example, in ancient Hebrew “weeks” refers to a heptadic structure we find throughout the Old and New Testament. Simply put, many times throughout His word God speaks in units of seven. The Hebrew word “shabuwa`” (weeks in English) is used to describe a period of time. Sometimes it serves to describe a seven day period, but in the text above it is a reference to a week of years. 

“Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.” Daniel 9:21. This verse indicates that God sent the angel Gabriel to Daniel to give him understanding concerning the seventy weeks.

The angel Gabriel is speaking about the future of Israel, and when Gabriel says “seventy weeks are determined” what he means is seventy sets of seven years are determined on thy people and upon thy holy city. So a total of 490 years will culminate with the fulfillment of all that was spoken of by the angel Gabriel in the verse above. A portion of that verse has already been fulfilled along with 483 of those years.
Seventy weeks are determined. What God means by “determined” is that His decree to Daniel is indomitable, it is set in stone, and it won’t be changed or slighted. If we take God at His word, as we should, what the world is going to experience at the end of the seventieth week of Daniel has, in God’s view, already transpired. Which means these coming events can’t be altered – they must occur just as Gabriel proclaims. 

Upon thy people and upon thy holy city. Here the angel Gabriel is referring to God’s possessions - the nation of Israel and His Holy City (Jerusalem). The seventy weeks are determined upon these two possessions of God. Conspicuous by its absence in verse 24 is any mention of the still to come Church age. Why? Everything in the verse above refers to Israel and the Holy City, Jerusalem, save one aspect. The one portion of the above verse already fulfilled today is the most important part of the whole verse. Hold on, the explanation is coming. 

To finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins. Wow! Have we seen any evidence that an end of transgression and sins has occurred sometime in Israel’s past? Both transgression and sins continue today just as they have throughout the existence of mankind. Therefore, those who insist that all these prophecies have been fulfilled must live on some utopian planet somewhere apart from planet earth. Why? Because as we wake up from our night’s sleep to a new day there are always new transgression and sins to face. God says He will “finish”, put a stop to, all of this world’s transgression and sins, which as we all know has had a long and dismal effect on mankind. The end of all transgression and sins which currently plague us is a specific set date known only to God. What we do know is that elimination point will not come before the end of the prophesied seventy weeks. Sixty-nine of those weeks have passed into history, yet transgression and sins are still in full bloom. By all accounts we see the seventieth week is set to begin very shortly – that is as soon as the Church age, which began at the end of the sixty-ninth week, is brought to a close.

And to make reconciliation for iniquity. This portion of Daniel 9:24 should be fairly obvious to us all. It’s the only part of that verse that has been fulfilled. Of course we know that all of the prophecies stated by Gabriel in that one verse must be fulfilled. But one of God’s main goals which was formulated and determined before even one foundation stone was laid in the creation of planet earth, was to reconcile mankind to Him. Our God and Savior has done just that. That reconciliation occurred when Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, took His preordained position on that cross. Jesus fulfilled that particular prophecy about 2,000 years ago. Reconciliation for iniquity was made, not just for Israel but for the whole of mankind – and Jesus said “Τετέλεσται – Paid in Full.”

So what two important issues have we learned so far? 1) God has promised He will fulfill all the prophecy given to Daniel and that He is by no means through acting on Israel’s behalf. 2) The reconciliation event that occurred some 2,000 years ago has created a Way for all mankind to join the nation of Israel as partakers of the promised inheritance. Because of Israel’s rejection of her Messiah we, the Gentile Church, have been grafted into our very own relationship with the Messiah.

And to bring everlasting righteousness. Everlasting righteousness can’t be afforded to a world where transgression and sins reign supreme. But God’s promise will come to fruition at the end of Daniel’s seventieth week when the King of kings reigns supreme.
Side note:
The mystery of the Church is specific and exclusive in nature. The nation Israel, on a whole, has rejected their Messiah, and that rejection is clearly laid out in Matthew chapter 12 where the Pharisees refer to their Messiah as Satan. That rejection began with Christ’s first advent when He came as a suffering servant culminating with His death on the cross. At His Second Advent, His return as a conquering Hero and the establishment of His Monarchy will be fulfilled at the end of the seventieth week spoken of above. At which point Jesus Christ, King of kings, will put into effect His concept of a perfect new world order. No matter what some theologians and Bible teachers teach to the contrary, Israel is still God’s chosen people. God is still very much involved in the affairs of the Nation of Israel. The seventieth week of Daniel, which is still on the horizon, is a period of time in which God will prove to the nations of the world just what the Nation of Israel means to Him. But His Church must be removed first.

“…and to seal up the vision and prophecy…” Daniel 9:24b. Then the angel Gabriel tells Daniel the vision and prophecy is to be sealed up. This again points to an end and fulfillment of all biblical prophecy. Currently there are a whole lot of people seeing visions and prophesying about what’s on the horizon; every day I receive at least one letter from someone who believes they’ve had a prophetic dream or vision that they believe is foretelling of coming events.
 
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:” Joel 2:28. We can now conclude that God is setting the stage for the finale of human history which will culminate in everlasting righteousness replacing transgression and sin as Jesus the Christ takes the helm of planet earth as her King. There will be no further need of visions or prophecy in the Kingdom to come as everything will have been fulfilled. Therefore at the end of the seventieth week of Daniel, God will seal up vision and prophecy and make an end of them. There will be no more false prophets or wannabe gods attempting to lead the masses astray. 

And to anoint the most Holy. God’s Temple will be the most Holy place on earth. Again, all prophecy must be fulfilled just as the Bible teaches. God’s Holy Temple is not even built yet, therefore this portion of the prophecy is still a future event. God can’t anoint His most Holy place until it’s built. This is another point in a long line of scripture verses which are simply dismissed by the Amillennialist (Preterist) crowd. As God anoints His Holy Temple and puts an end to all forms of unrighteousness, all transgression, and all sins, what comes into perfect view here is not only the act of committing transgression which will be dealt that God-ordained final blow, but all guilt associated with any and all of those unholy and unrighteous rebellious acts will be eliminated.

It’s important to understand that there has been a gap period between the end of the sixty-ninth week of Daniel and the beginning of the seventieth week. This gap of time has now lasted for almost 2,000 years, and during this time God has been devoted to the establishment of His Church. This phenomenal Church growth witnessed by the world for the past 2,000 years will soon be coming to a screeching halt. The Church has been God’s focus, but all of that is about to change. Here in the 24th verse of Daniel chapter 9 we see that God’s focus is primarily on His people Israel and on His Holy City, Jerusalem. 

As a nation Israel is still in rebellion to God, but that will change in the middle of the seventieth week as the abomination of desolation is revealed. “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet…” Matthew 24:15a. The abomination of desolation will mark the beginning of the Great Tribulation (note I didn’t say the beginning of the seventieth week) in which the Nation of Israel will be fully engulfed. At this point Israel will come to realize the man they’ve been so enamored with for the previous three and one half years was actually Satan himself. Then they will begin to call on the Name that is above all names – the Name of their “mashiyach nagiyd”(Messiah the King) – which is Jesus the Christ. 

Prior to Daniel’s seventieth week, at a specific God-ordained point on His established timeline, His Church will be complete. At that precise point in time, Jesus will remove every born again believer from the face of this planet. There will not be any remnant of Christ’s Church remaining on earth as God once again focuses specifically on His chosen people, Israel. God will still accomplish all of His goals presented to Daniel by the angel Gabriel according to His plan and for His glory. But we, the Church, can be fully assured that that final week will not involve the body of Christ, until the end when we will come back with our Lord in His glory. “…and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.” Revelation 17:14b.
God bless you all,
Ron Graham
All scripture is from the KJV and God breathed
Ministry address – 96 County Road 5480 Salem, MO 65560
My past commentaries are archived at the following link
If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me a email and let me know